


Little Jester

by TheMagicMicrobus



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Little Peach - Peggy Kern
Genre: Batman doesn't exist, But I'll Probably See Him In Hell Anyway, F/M, I'm Evil Too, Jack Never Became Joker, Jack is a Kid, M/M, Prostitute AU, Runaway Jack, Sionis Is Terrible, Young Joker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-04-29 14:57:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5131814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMagicMicrobus/pseuds/TheMagicMicrobus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an AU batjokes fic based on the book Little Peach by Peggy Kern.</p><p>Jack is a young boy from an abusive family who runs away to the big bad city of Gotham in search of a better life.  He finds murder, violence, and loss, but also a man he thinks is a friend.  Roman Sionis, the business mogul and pimp.  Before he knows it, Sionis is the young boys 'Daddy' and he's totally trapped.</p><p>Six years later, enter Bruce Wayne, billionaire philanthropist.  On a whim, he walks into a party he heard about from a friend of a friend.  Turns out, this isn't any party that he would be caught dead at.  One good thing comes of it, though.  Bruce meets a young man called Jester by the others.</p><p>Is there any hope for this unlikely romance?  Will Jack ever own his own life and body again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Story Begins Not With A Bang But A Whimper

**Author's Note:**

> This is Chapter One, written from Jack's perspective looking back on how he got where he is now. I make no promises whatsoever to update in a timely manner, however I will try. Hope you like it, darlings!

## This Story Begins Not With A Bang But A Whimper

My birthday.  I was fourteen that day.  Fourteen years of hell.  My mother gave me ten dollars to run down to the store and buy myself a treat.  She didn’t have to warn me what would happen if my father found out that she had been wasting money on me.  I took that crumpled bill and ran upstairs to my room.  Well, closet would be a more accurate term.  Under my mattress was the stash of money that I had collected over the past few years.  I’d been saving since I was twelve and decided I couldn’t spend another day in that place.  I was a smart kid though.  I knew I couldn’t get away without money to buy myself a new life.  Going without new socks for a while was worth it.  Adding the ten, I had $41.72.  It would have to be enough.  Shoving my few, meager possessions into my backpack bag, I crept downstairs.  Pausing by the kitchen, I almost turned back to hug my mother goodbye.  But then, I knew that she would try to stop me, or worse try to help me.  My father’s wallet sat innocently on the couch.  There wouldn’t be much there, but every cent helped.  The only thing that stopped me was the knowledge that if a penny was missing, he would take it out on my mother.  He already hurt her enough.  Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I walked out of that house that had never been my home.  I could find a new one, somewhere far away.  I made my way to the bus station.  The $41.72 weighed heavy in my pocket and my intentions heavy in my heart.  What I had would get me as far as Gotham City, and no farther.  It wasn’t as far as I would have liked, but it would do.  A person could disappear in a city, and never be found again.  At least not as the same person they were when they went in.  I bought a ticket and settled in for the rest of my life.  If only I knew what I was in for.

Fourteen hours later, I climbed off the greyhound.  Stretching my arms above my head, I grinned.  A damp mist hung in the morning air, turning the city a shade of hazy grey.  Gothic buildings towered over me, gargoyles glaring down like monstrous bats.  I glared back then burst into giggles.  This was it.  I was free!  Lighter than I had been since...well, ever.  I felt I could fly.  I turned a slow circle, taking in the panicked, rushed energy of Gotham, not caring I looked a total country bumpkin.  A soft jingle drifted to my ears through the chorus of honks and shouts.  The $1.12 I had left still sat in my pocket.   _It won’t be enough_.  I knew this.  I had prepared for it.  I had no problem sleeping on the street, I could steal what I needed for food.  I could survive here.  I would _flourish_ here.  Stopping for a moment to search the map in the bus stop for a park, I set off.   _I’ll be fine._

Three hours later, I found it.  Cold, exhausted, and shaky from hunger, I collapsed onto a bench.  A heavy sigh drifted from my lips.  Someone cleared their throat to my left.  Sitting up quickly, I spun around.  A young man sat besides me, a gentle smirk on his pale pink lips.  He looked as though he had never worried about money in his life.  A rich, black wool coat matched his leather gloves.

“You look like you just ran a marathon.”  His voice was rich and smooth.  I didn’t have to be from the city to know this was a high society man.  All I could do was muster a small smile in response.

“Here.”  He held out a bill to me, “See that hotdog cart over there?  Why don’t you buy yourself something, you look like you could use it.”

Normally, my pride would have kept me from accepting this stranger’s charity, but hunger overruled rational thought.  I grabbed the money and ran like a wild boy for the cart.  Within minutes, I was sitting back in my spot on the bench, a hotdog wrapper resting on my lap.  I licked the mustard from my finger, grinning once again.

The man smirked, “You’ve got a little…”  He gestured to my face.

Embarrassed, I hurriedly wiped the ketchup from around my lips.  “Thanks by the way.  That was really nice of you.”

“It’s nothing, you’re smiled made it worth it.”  He held out his hand, “I’m Roman, Roman Sionis.”

“Jack, sir.  It’s nice to meet you.”

“What manners!  How old are you Jack?  Where are your parents?”  He seemed genuinely concerned for me, glancing around as though parents would magically appear to claim my ragged self.

“I’m fourteen, and it’s just me.”

Mr. Sionis nodded like one ran into fourteen year olds starving in the park everyday.   _Who knows, maybe in Gotham, you do_.  “Well,” he said, “It was wonderful to meet you Jack.”  He paused, “You do have a place to stay, don’t you?”

I nodded, but I must have seemed uncertain because Mr. Sionis smiled kindly and held out a card.

“Here.  If you need a place to stay, or just someone to talk to, come find me.”

My sense was finally returning.  “Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I said.

“All the same, take it.”  He stuck it into my coat pocket and turned away.  “I hope to see you soon Jack.”

Frozen in shock, it took me a moment to respond, “Thanks again!”

Mr. Sionis waved over his shoulder as he disappeared across the street.  I pulled the card out of my pocket.  The heavy, pale grey paper felt like silk in my hands.  Printed in navy in across the front was,

Roman Sionis

CEO Sionis Industries

735-225-696

17 Pacific Avenue, Gotham

 _Guess I was right.  He is rich._  By then, dusk was falling over the city.  Gotham had the feel of somewhere you didn’t want to be out in at night.  I needed to find a place to sleep.  Reluctantly, I dragged myself to my feet.  Gotham was a big city.  There had to be somewhere I could go.  I started walking.

I found some train tracks about a mile away from where I had met Roman Sionis.  Spreading my purple hoodie out on the ground in the dark I settled in for a long night.  I thought it would take me ages to fall asleep on strange ground, but  I closed my eyes and fell asleep in an instant.  Not even the whistle of a train woke me.

However, the gunshot definitely did.  I jumped to my feet startled from sleep.  It took me a moment for me to realise that the shot hadn’t been meant for me.  A scream came from the tracks above me.  Wrapping my hoodie around myself, I carefully climbed up.  Peering through the shrubbery, a terrifying scene took form.  A man was curled on the tracks, another towering over him, gun in hand.  Three others in dark clothing stood around them, cruel smiles on their faces.  The standing man was saying something.  He was shouting over the roar of a coming train but I still couldn’t hear him.  Maybe I just didn’t want to.  He fired another shot and laughed as the man below him flinched.  The bullet buried itself into the tracks just besides his head.  The man with the gun stepped away and gestured the others forward.  They converged on the bound man, shifted into a seething mass of shadow.  I started shimmying away.  Whatever happened, I didn’t want to be here for it.  What I had seen was bad enough.  Then they stepped away and I saw that the man was now tied to the tracks. _No!  They couldn’t, they wouldn’t…_ Oh but they would.  The train came barreling down towards us.  I made a strangled noise in the back of my throat, but it wasn’t heard over the roar of engines.  The massive machine bared down on the man who suddenly seemed so small.  Then they were both gone.  The four men got in a black car parked by the side of the tracks.  They laughed and smiled, as though they had were heading home from a regular day at the office.  I stumbled a few steps away from the blood stained tracks before throwing up in a bush.  I wiped my mouth and started unsteadily back towards the park.  I knew I would pass Pacific ave. on the way.  There was no way I was spending another moment on those streets, not if a nice man had just offered me a place to stay.

Seventeen Pacific Avenue was a massive marble fronted building with heavy oaken doors gilded with gold.  I shoved one open, throwing my small weight against it.  Inside an ornate lobby a woman sat at a small desk.  She looked up at me, disapproval written in her eyes.  I approached slowly as one might a wild dog, my head bowed in submission.

“How can I help you, young man?”

“Um, Mr. Sionis said to come see him?”  I hated the way my voice cracked at the end, making it sound as though I were asking a question.

Her eyes ran over and I felt sure that she was going to throw me out.   _Can secretaries even do that?_

Instead, she simply nodded and said, “Twelfth floor.  Go on up.”

Surprised yet grateful, I nodded and nearly ran for the elevator, not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind.

The twelfth and final floor was a single, gigantic office.  Mr. Sionis stood in before the bay of windows, a phone pressed to his ear.  I stood silently in the door, not wanting to interrupt him but not willing to face the secretary again.  He turned towards me and a happy smile blossomed on his face.

“Sorry, Al, I’ve got to go.  I’ll call you back tomorrow?”  Mr. Sionis ended his call and walked around his desk to face me.  His smile faded when he saw my face.  “Jack, what happened?”

“I-”  To my utmost horror, I started crying.  Big ugly sobs.  To his credit, Mr. Sionis reacted well.  He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.  It was as though he dealt with sobbing teenagers everyday.  Now I know, he probably did.  I felt safe in his arms, in a way I hadn’t felt before.   _This is what a father should be._  My tears subsided and I pulled back, reluctant to stand on my own again.  I couldn’t remember the last time someone had simply hugged me because I was sad.  It made me like Mr. Sionis even more.  I never wondered how someone who was not yet thirty would be so rich and powerful.

I wiped my eyes on my sleeve.  He was here for me, the least I could do was tell him the truth.  “I saw... a group of men.  They tied someone to the tracks and… A train killed him.  I-I didn’t want to be out there alone.”

Mr. Sionis sighed heavily, his expression one of regret and long suffering.  “Welcome to Gotham I suppose.  This is a dangerous city Jack, not a place for a young boy to run around on his own.  Smart of you to come to me.  You look exhausted.  Why don’t we head to my apartment and you can have the guest room.”

“Really?  Thank you so much Mr. Sionis.”

“Really.  I see a lot of myself in you.  I wish I could do more.”

“It’s more than enough, I’m so grateful.”

“Friends help friends, right?”

“Right.”

Mr. Sionis didn’t drive.  He had a driver.  I sank into the backseat, relief flooding my body.  I had a place to stay with a nice man who cared about me.   I had a friend.  We pulled up to an apartment block, not far from the office.  Mr. Sionis lead me inside, up to the penthouse.  He put hand on my shoulder, pushing the door open with the other.  To a kid like me, it was pretty much the same as walking into heaven.  Plush white carpet ran from the navy walls to the massive bank of windows overlooking Gotham.  From up here, it almost seemed peaceful.  After carefully toeing off my decrepit sneakers, I ran across the room and threw myself onto the massive black leather L shaped couch.  Mr. Sionis laughed and crossed over to me.

He set a hand on my shoulder, “Jack, I hope you don’t mind, I’m having some friends over later tonight.  It completely slipped my mind, but I’m sure they’ll love you.”

“I don’t mind.  You apartment is amazing!”

“Thanks, I try.  Want something to drink?”

“Sure,”  I was already up again, my nose pressed up against the wall of glass.  He slipped behind the bar in the corner.  The flashing lights of the city below me made me feel like a king, like I had the world at my feet.  Noises drifted up to me, but they seemed muted, as though a blanket lay between my and then.

Mr. Sionis was back at my shoulder, a tall glass in his hand.  He offered it to me.

“What’s this?”

“A smoothie, try it.”

I shrugged and took the glass from him.  It was thick and creamy.  The taste of strawberries danced across my tongue.  I quickly drained it and he chucked.

“Did you like it?”

“I loved it!  Thanks Mr. Sionis.”

“My pleasure.  My friends will be here soon, who don’t you go get cleaned up?  I’ll find some clothes for you and leave them outside the bathroom door.”

“Alright… Where’s your bathroom?”

“Just down the hall there.”

“Thanks.”

The cold slate tiles were hard beneath my feet.  I quickly walked over to the shower and started a stream of hot water.  I dropped my worn and filthy clothes to the floor.  My vision blurred, and I nearly fell, just catching myself on the edge of the shower door.  I shook my head, trying to clear the effects, but that only made the pounding in my head worse.  I climbed into the stream of water, letting the hot droplets beat upon my face.  The world was spinning.  A quick rinse was all I would risk, I didn’t want to fall and crack my head.

Keeping one hand on the wall for balance, I peeked around the door.  As promised, there was a small pile of clothing on the floor.  I was so out of it, I just grabbed them and dressed.  I never wondered where Sionis found them, or why he dressed me as he did.  I staggered down the hall and fell onto the couch.  Mr. Sionis was sitting on the other end.  He slid over to me, again resting his hand on my shoulder.

“Jack, feeling a bit better?”

“Much,” I lied. _What happened to me?_

The doorbell rang and Mr. Sionis left me on the couch to let in his guests.  Three young men came in, all of them in dark clothing.

 **  
** I think I must have blacked out for a moment, because the next thing I knew there were about twelve men in the room, and Mr. Sionis was gone.  My head was still spinning, my vision blurred.  It took me a moment to realize that there were actually thirteen men.  I had wound up on the lap of a pale, lanky man with dark brown bangs falling across his face.  His breath stank of cigarettes and alcohol.  He threw his head back as he laughed at something I had apparently said.  Rough fingers gripped my thigh and I blacked out again.


	2. Stars Shine, Like Signs Of Better Things To Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I entirely forgot about it until a wonderful comment reminded me. The result was the fastest written chapter of my not-career. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> I've switched to 3rd person to tell the story of present day. You'll have to wait till chapter three to find out what happened to little Jack!

_What am I doing here?_ Bruce wondered as he sat in his matte black lamborghini.  The towering hotel building besides him seemed a whole other world, one he was not sure he wanted to enter.   _Selina said it was just a party._   _Then again, she hasn’t always been known for her good judgment._ The wind whistled through the street, adding to the uneasy ambiance.  The Narrows loomed just a block away, another reason Bruce doubted the legality of this party.  In the end, curiosity won out.   _Selina said it was just a party._ The billionaire stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk, flipping his collar up against the cold.  A tall man in a dark suit stood by the door.  His eyes followed Bruce as he approached the door, but he must have recognized him because Bruce passed without a problem.  Inside, the bar was filled with rakishly dressed men, as well as a few women.  Bruce was a clean business man, but you couldn’t live in Gotham without running into a few mobster types.  It seemed they congregated here.  Music blasted from hidden speaker, the lights turned low.   _Oh, Selina, what kind of party is this?_ A short, thin man with a pronounced limp approached Bruce from his table.“Bruce Wayne!” his voice was high and reedy.  It grated on the billionaires ears.

“Hello Mr.Cobblepot.”  How could he not know this man?  Much like Al Capone, Oswald Cobblepot was know through the world as a man above the law and below most people’s moral standards.

Cobblepot clapped him on the shoulder, “Never expected to see you in a place like this Wayne.”

Bruce laughed nervously, “I never expected to be here.”

“Oh, don’t worry.  We don’t tattle, you’ll find we’re a rather close knit group here.”  Was that a hint of hostility in the mob boss’s voice?

“I’m sure you are.”

“You see, Sionis only invites the cream of the crop up here.  He’s very protective of his business.”

_Crap.  There are rumors about what Sionis gets into...guess those rumors are true.  I’ve got to get out of here._

“Mr. Cobblepot, I just remembered, I have to get going.  Really don’t have the time to stop today.”

“Nonsense.  Come on upstairs, you haven’t see anything yet.”

“I really have to…”

“Come on.”

Bruce reluctantly followed Cobblepot to the elevator after deciding it was probably more dangerous to walk away from him then to just go with him.  The other man ran a hand through his hair, as though making himself presentable for a lover.  It didn’t help much.  He still looked like a overgrown bird.

The doors dinged open and Bruce allowed himself to be pulled out into the hall of rooms.  Every few doors, a burly guard stood still as a statue.  Cobblepot winked at Bruce, and gave a little wave before slipping into the fourth room down.  Bruce just stood in the middle of the hall, wondering whether he should run now.  After about three minutes, the guards started looking at him funny.  After five the nearest one went for his earpiece.  That jolted Bruce into action.  He could get in serious trouble in anyone realized he wasn’t supposed to be here.  Without thinking, he pulled open the door nearest to him and slipped through it.

For a moment, it seemed as though the room was empty.  Then Bruce turned and found a young man gazing at him with heavy lidded eyes from the bed.  He couldn’t have been more than twenty.  Poison green eyes lined with black, full red lips and a shockingly pale complexion gave him the look of something wild and untamed.  His dirty blonde hair fell in tousled waves around his face.  He pushed himself up, leaning back on his arms.

A slight smirk painted his lips, “No need to look so scared.  I don’t bite.”  His voice was high with a smoker’s rasp.

Bruce froze.  The man cocked his head to the side.

“What’s up honey, not a talker?”  He unfolded himself from the bed and slunk over to the larger man.  Tight black leather pants and a fitted purple V-neck accentuated his lithe form and ridiculously long legs.  Silver studded cuffs flashed at his wrists.

Finding his voice Bruce said, “Hi.  Um, I’m Bruce Wayne.”

Giggling, the man responded, “I know, doll.  I’m Jester.”

“Jester?”

“Uh huh.  You seem new.”

“That obvious I shouldn’t be here?”

“Only a little bit.”

“I should leave.”  
“Now, don’t say that.  You such a gentleman, I would hate to have to say I chased you away.”

“Really.  I’m not supposed to be here.”

Jester sighed, “Well honey, I’m not going to stop you.  But you should know, you could do worse than me.”

“That’s not it.  One of my friends told me about this, and I was just curious about all the secrecy.”

“O-oh.”  He dropped back onto the edge of the bed, throwing one leg over the other.  “You’re so cute.  It’s so refreshing to talk to someone on the outside.  What’s it like out there?  Have you got flying cars yet?”

Bruce laughed, “Jetpacks too.”

Jester grinned.  He seemed to be contemplating something.  Coming to a decision, his smile dropped away and he looked up at the billionaire.  “Would you be willing to do something for me?”

“What?”

“There’s a girl in the room across the hall.  Harley.  She’s had a bit of a rough night, do you think you could peek in on her?”

“Okay… I guess.”

“Thanks doll.  It really means a lot to me.”

 

A rather confused and slightly terrified Bruce walked quickly across the hall and knocked at the opposite door.  After waiting for a few minutes with no response, he decided it was probably safe to peek in.  Carefully shutting the door behind him, Bruce was greeted by a darkened room with a small lump under the covers.

“Harley?” he asked softly.

A young woman popped up from under the covers.  She was scantily clad in a brown leather biker jacket and black and red midriff top.  Heavy eyeshadow surrounded baby blue eyes.  With a shock, Bruce realized that she was just a kid.  No amount of makeup and costumes could hide the fact that she was just a teenager with long blonde pigtails.   _No wonder Jester was worried about her._  Her eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to have trouble focusing on him.

She started pulling herself up, thinking he was a client.

Bruce quickly raised his hands, “Please, don’t get up, Jester sent me over.  He’s worried.”

Harley fell back into bed, “Thank god.  He’s sweet, keeping tabs on me.  I’m fine, getting better.”  She paused and her eyes widened, “You’re Bruce Wayne, aren’t ya?”

“I am.  Jester said you’re Harley?”

“That’s me.  Thanks for coming over.  You seem different.”

“Yeah, he told me the same thing.”

“It’s true.  You’re… clean.  Polite.”

“And you’re sick.  You just get some rest.”

“Thanks again.  Jester worries too much.”

Bruce smiled as she drifted asleep.  Tiptoeing as softly as he could, he crossed the hall back to Jester’s room.

The young man was perched on the bed, leaning forward onto his elbows.  As the billionaire came in he looked up, “How is she?”

“She’s fine, sleeping right now.”

Jester sighed and flopped back onto his back.  “I swear, that girl is going to give me gray hair.  Thank you for checking on her for me.  We can’t really move around freely here.  Otherwise, I’d have gone over myself.”

“I get it, it’s no trouble.”

“Thanks all the same.  Not many would have done it.”

“Then you must not meet the best people.”  Bruce flinched, realizing what he just said.

Jester picked up on it and was quick to sooth Bruce’s worry, “Oh, it’s not all that bad.  Oswald is a bit like you.”

“Really?  Oswald Cobblepot?”

“Yeah, Riddler seems to like him.”

“Hm.  I ran into him downstairs.  Can’t say I feel the same.”

“We all have different opinions I guess, but I’m inclined to agree with you, honey.  That man just gives me the creeps.”

“You accent isn’t Gotham.  Where are you from?”

“Oh, far away and a long time ago.  You’ll have to buy me dinner to get anything else though.”

Bruce smiled, “I might take you up on that.”

Jester widened his eyes in mock horror, “What would the paparazzi say?”

“Probably something ridiculous about me being a heartbreaker and you being a home wrecker.”

“I’ll take that any day, so long as I don’t have any rabid exes coming after me with pitchforks.”

“Ha, please.  They all forget about me once they get their tabloid cover.”

“Doesn’t seem like I’d have a home to wreck.”

“I might though… Harley, she would happen to-”

“Oh, honey, don’t be silly!” Jester interrupted him.  “Harley’s my little sister, by everything but blood.  Besides, she’s _really_ not my type.”

“I thought it would be safer to just check, instead of risking her coming after me with a pitchfork.”

Jester giggled, clutching at his stomach.  After a moment his laughter quieted.  His acid green eyes gazed intently at Bruce, freezing him in place.  The dark haired man’s breath left him in a quiet whoosh.   _What is this man doing here?  It's like someone put a leash on a jaguar and called him a house cat._

Jester blinked and just like that, the moment was gone.  He leaned over to the bedside table and pulled a deck of cards from the drawer.

“Play with me?”

“Why not?”

 

An two hours and what would have been most of Bruce's fortune had they been playing with actual money, Bruce's phone buzzed in his pocket.  Pulling it out, he groaned in disappointment.

“They need me back at the office, some corporate meeting.”

Jester pouted, “Aw, did I steal the big boss man away?”

“They just can't live without me.”

“Well, don't leave me without you for too long either doll.  Come back and visit?”

Bruce hesitated for a moment, before deciding it was worth the risk, “Jester, could you get away for an hour or two some day?”

“Tuesday's my free day...if I make the right excuses I could.  What're you offering?”

“Lunch, just me and minimum paparazzi.”

“No rabid exes?”

“None.”

“Deal.  I'll see you this Tuesday, Honey.”

Bruce smiled.  Normally, pet names grated on him, but with Jester, he didn't seem to mind.  He pulled out a card and offered it to Jester.

“Call me?”

The other man smiled, “Sure thing.  Let me walk you to the door.”

Unfolding himself from his curled position on the bed, Jester caught Bruce's hand as he was about to open the door.

“Thanks for a great time doll,”  He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to Bruce's cheek.  “It's been awhile.”

Bruce smiles at him, “It’s been awhile here too.”

 

Closing the door behind him, Bruce's eyes trailed over to Harley’s room.  On a whim, he crossed the hall and peeked inside.  The young blonde was still huddled under the covers, sleeping soundly.  It seemed they could drag her out here, but they couldn't make her work.  He smiled sadly.   _If only I could help.  Her, Jester, all of them._  Bruce scribbled a note on the back of a card and set it on the lamp where she would find it when she woke.

 

As Bruce slid into his car, he pulled out his phone.  Selina needed a serious talking to, and he happened to be free over dinner.


	3. Would You Tell Me, Please, Which Way I Ought To Go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, I got rather stuck, and then I had midterms, and now I'm making excuses. So sorry, I hope you enjoy it. I'll try to be more timely with my next update.

I woke up the next morning bruised, battered and with a pounding headache.  I ran my fingers over the dark silk sheets of the pillowy bed that was not my own as the details of last night came back to me.  A few of them at least.  I wasn’t at home, I didn’t have a home anymore.  Mr. Sionis, he saved me.  And then… There was this big dark spot in my mind covering everything afterwards.  In my confused state, it took me a moment to realize I wasn’t alone.  There was a tall, dark haired man with his back turned towards me on the other side of the bed.  I think I recognized  him from the night before.  I know now that his name is Oswald Cobblepot, and I have the absolute pleasure of seeing him most weeks.  Ugh.  I was quite startled to find this stranger in my bed, or perhaps to find myself in a stranger’s bed.  Quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed and out the door.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I found my way to the bathroom.  Looking in the mirror, for a moment I thought that someone else was in here with me because that boy could not be me.  Dark circles and pale skin, that was the norm, but my eyes were bloodshot, my lips swollen.  Purple bruises circled my wrists.  Washing up as quickly as I could, I hunted through the pile of clothes I had left by the shower the night before.  I pulled on my hoodie and washed my face.  I felt a little more myself after that, despite the fact that I would have never in a million years have worn jeans this tight.  I know I seem to be harping on this point.  I had spent my life until then hiding beneath my clothes. Hide the bruises, hide my girlish figure.  I guess I probably would have filled out a bit more if I had eaten a normal amount.  As it was, I was just shy of malnourished.  Whatever.  My hoodie was a safety blanket, hiding me from the world and keeping me safe.  These new clothes though...They clung to my skin like paint, revealing every curve, every rib.  I admit it, I scared myself.  The skeletal, haunted boy in the mirror couldn't be me.  I was supposed to be strong, to be self sufficient.  I wasn't looking at that person, I was looking at a scared animal, backed into a corner.  If only I knew just how true that was.  I've never been strong.  If I was, then I wouldn't have even wound up here.  If I was, then I wouldn't be here now.  But as a man I am nothing more than I was as a boy.  If anything, I am less because I'm now culpable in all of my crimes.

“Um, Mr Sionis?  How did the party go?  I can't seem to remember most of it, I wasn't feeling well.”

“I never would have guessed you weren't one hundred percent.  I hope your feeling better now?”

I nodded my head vigorously, “Much.”

“Wonderful.  You were the life of the party.  I really appreciated the way you kept my guest company.”

 _One more question should be safe._ “Who is that man...the one I woke up with.”

Sionis laughed, “Oh, him.  That just Ozzy.  An old friend of mine.  Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, he wouldn't hurt a fly.”

“Alright.  Thank you for breakfast. “

“My pleasure.  I've been wondering...can I give you a ride to anywhere?  Any family I can call?”

I bite my lip.   _This was where he kicked me out, left me to die on the streets._ “N-no sir.  I don't have anywhere to go.”

Sionis smiled at me, full of warmth and understanding, “Then I hope you'll consider staying with me.  It's not safe on the streets.”

I nearly fell over myself to accept.  A little voice in the back of my head was shouting that I did really know what happened last night, that I couldn't trust this stranger.  I forced it down.  “Yes!  Please, thank you so, so much!”

“Now, Jack, there's one thing I need you to realize.” Sionis sat down across from me, and folded his hands on the table.  “I expect you to contribute, to help provide for yourself.  I’m not always going to be able to look out for you, and I need to know that you will be able to survive on your own, someday.”

“Okay, I’ll do anything.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that.”

I smiled at him, “I trust you.”  God, I wish I had never said that.

“Jack, I want to introduce you to some people.  Others like you, who I’ve taken in.”

“Others?”

“Oh, yes.  They’re really wonderful kids, I’m sure you’ll all get along charmingly.”

“I’m sure we will.”   _Mr. Sionis must be really great if he’s taken in others like me.  Not many people would do that._


End file.
